The Small Animal Imaging Facility within the Department of Radiology, Thomas Jefferson University (TJU) includes a CT, an optical imaging, a PET/SPECT, and a PET scanner. However, this TJU-wide facility does not yet have a dedicated high frequency ultrasound scanner for small animal imaging. Hence, this application requests funding for a Vevo 2100 ultrasound scanner (VisualSonics, Toronto, Ontario, Canada) with unique high frequency transducers (spanning frequencies from 24 to 70 MHz) in order to support many NIH-sponsored research projects within TJU and the Kimmel Cancer Center (KCC) as well as the Center for Translational Medicine. The scanner will be housed in the TJU Small Animal Imaging Facility under the direction of an experienced ultrasound researcher, Dr Flemming Forsberg (the PI of this application). This equipment will expand on the capabilities in cardiovascular research at TJU and open up new and exciting possibilities for cancer research (and potentially for the neurosciences as well). Researchers from many different TJU departments (including Radiology, Radiation Oncology, Cancer Biology, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics and Medicine) will benefit from the unique capabilities of the Vevo 2100 scanner; in particular novel applications in nonlinear contrast imaging, tissue Doppler imaging and strain rate imaging. Overall, the addition of the Vevo 2100 Ultrasound Imaging scanner to the Small Animal Imaging Facility is needed for three primary reasons: (1) This system is needed to extend contrast enhanced cancer imaging (and potentially also neuroscience) applications within the TJU and KCC community; (2) The additional scanner should alleviate the demand and overcrowding issues which plague our older Vevo 770 unit; (3) The system will provide a platform for use of new imaging modes in cardiovascular applications. All the selected major users of this system have ongoing and well-funded federal research programs that have the current and future needs of in vivo imaging of animal models for translational applications in cancer biology, cardiovascular disease and emerging molecular therapies. The Vevo 2100 ultrasound scanner is truly the state-of-the-art in vivo imaging system dedicated to, and without equal for, small animal imaging. Consequently, this ultrasound system would be a major boost to the extensive, federally supported, research efforts at TJU. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The translation of innovative diagnostic and therapeutic advances is often based on small animal imaging of murine models of cancer, cardiovascular and vascular biology. The Vevo 2100 is a unique ultrasound imaging system (VisualSonics, Toronto, Canada) with high frequency transducers (spanning frequencies from 24 to 70 MHz) as well as software packages tailored specifically to contrast and cardiovascular small animal applications. The Vevo 2100 system will aid many major, federally funded, research initiatives and long-range biomedical goals of Thomas Jefferson University.